


Diabolique Mon Ange

by Shadow_Arashi



Series: Top Goro Week 2021 [6]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Brainwashing, Corruption, Dubious Consent, Dubious Morality, M/M, Moral Degeneration, Persona 5 Protagonist Has A Palace, palace au, spoilers in the tags, top goro week 2021, yandere!akechi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:21:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29083800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_Arashi/pseuds/Shadow_Arashi
Summary: It had been a stroke of pure luck that led him to discover ’s palace. Just pure dumb luck, to the point Akechi would have been offended by it if the result hadn’t been so useful.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro/Shadow Kurusu Akira
Series: Top Goro Week 2021 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2125548
Comments: 5
Kudos: 131
Collections: TopGoroWeek #1 2021





	Diabolique Mon Ange

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts: Palace AU  
> Warnings: Written for Top!Goro week! I love (and I mean LOVE) the idea of a hero being corrupted. Especially if the corruption is done by a villain obsessed with said hero. So I ran with that idea and mixed it with Palace AU prompt to give it a little twist. SPOILERS IN THE TAGS, you have been warned. TW for brainwashing, dub-con turned con, corruption of a character, moral degeneration and Akechi getting it on with both and shadow!.  
> Disclaimer: Persona 5 and its characters belong to Atlus. I own nothing and am doing this for entertainment only and don’t make any profit of it. Also the title is from a Mylene Farmer song.

_No. Way._  
  
Akechi thought dumbstruck as he stared at his phone.  
  
For once the detective had no idea how to react, having never expected such a _scenario_ to happen. His prior knowledge of the Metaverse had all but confirmed that the chance of _that_ happening were null, so how was it even possible??  
  
Akechi stared at his phone for a couple more minutes, his brain slowly processing the truly unbelievable news that had just been dumped into his lap.  
  
Unbelievable.  
  
And yet-  
  
Slowly, Akechi allowed himself a smile as he realized he had just been handed the key to his victory.  
  
Who would have thought that _Joker_ of all people had a palace?  
  


  
\-----------  
  


  
It had been a stroke of pure luck that led him to discover Joker’s palace. Just pure dumb luck, to the point Akechi would have been offended by it if the result hadn’t been so useful. Joker was damn lucky he was only planning on using his palace to his advantage rather than destroying it.  
  
The key words itself were a joke too. _The Thieves’ Den_? Really?  
  
The whole thing made no sense but Akechi wasn’t about to waste time on the logistic of the why and how. All that matter was that the leader of the Phantom Thieves had a palace and that Akechi could use that fact to his advantage. Especially since Joker’s, _Ren’s_ , life was on the line.  
  
Because when it came down to it Akechi _didn’t_ want to kill Ren. The quiet yet confidant leader of the phantom thieves had become someone very dear to him, slowly but steadily tearing down the walls he had spent years to build around himself and reaching out to him despite seeing the truth behind his mask.  
  
He still didn’t know how he managed to accomplish that feat but somehow Ren saw his true self and didn’t run away from him in horror.  
  
Looking back, this may have been the starting point of his obsession. His personas may tease him about his growing fondness for the cute, dark haired student but they were both in agreement with their master; Shido couldn’t be allowed to take yet another person away from him.  
  
Therefore Ren couldn’t die.  
  
Which meant that Ren having palace was a godsend rather than a disaster; not _in spite of_ but rather _because_ of its implication.  
  
Because now Akechi had a sure way to turn Ren to _his side_ , which meant he would no longer be a target of the Conspiracy. After all Shido wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to have two wildcards at his disposal if Joker could be made into an asset instead of a nuisance, right?  
  
And since Akechi had learned enough in his time with the thieves to be confidant in his ability to change someone’s cognition without killing them he had all the tools he needed to put his new plan into motion.  
  
He was going to change Joker’s cognition and save him from the gruesome fate his ‘ _friends_ ’ were planning to subject him to.  
  
And no one was going to stop him.  
  


  
\-----------  
  


  
Getting the rest of the keywords was equally easy, Ren himself accidentally handing them out to him during a trip to Mementos.  
  
Akechi appreciated the irony of his ~~_soulmate_~~ rival giving him the key to his defeat, although could it really be called a defeat if he planned on freeing Ren rather than destroying his palace?  
  
And speaking of Ren’s palace… it was a prison. Large, grey and depressing and built like a goddamn _maze_.  
  
It was one of the least likely palaces for someone who seemed to be so free and it only strengthened Akechi’s conviction that Ren needed to be saved. There was no way the boy was actually happy running himself ragged taking care of half of Tokyo if he had managed to form an actual palace, and a jail at that.  
  
It simply would not be tolerated.  
  
Soon, Ren would be freed from his self imposed prison.  
  
But first Akechi had some exploring to do.  
  


  
\-----------  
  


  
As he went through Ren’s palace Akechi couldn’t help but think the whole place felt strange, almost... unnatural.  
  
So far his exploration had revealed that the maze-like prison actually consisted of a single floor that _changed_ with each visit, making navigating through it a real pain. The place was barely lit, making going through the hallways quite the eerie experience, and yet it lacked the hostility and oppressing atmosphere he was used to associate with palaces. In fact, it felt very empty.  
  
The lack of shadows didn’t help with that either.  
  
And yet, this wouldn’t be the most surprising discovery he would make in Ren’s palace, as he would soon find out.  
  


  
\-----------  
  


  
“Thanks Joker, I knew I could count on you to fix my mess~~!”  
  
Akechi stared at the scene with disgust, barely remembering in time that he had to stay hidden unless he wanted to alert the cognition of his presence.  
  
Right now however he was sorely regretting his earlier decision to forego his usual method of hacking and slashing everything in sight in favor of subtlety. Only Robin Hood’s reminder that he should handle this particular palace with caution ( _les_ _t_ _he damaged the one he wanted to save_ ) kept him in check as he watched Takamaki’s cognition speak to Ren like one would a dog.  
  
Unfortunately this was the third cognition he saw treating Ren like nothing but a whipping boy and he knew enough to recognize a pattern when he saw one.  
  
And what he saw enraged him.  
  
Just as he had started to fear from his lurking around, Ren’s shadow was _not_ in control of his distortion. Instead the other teen was actually a prisoner of his _own palace;_ but that was not even the most alarming. What really worried Akechi the most was the state of Ren’s shadow.  
  
The shadow was locked up in a cell isolated from the rest of the prison, looking for all the world like a discarded doll. It was dressed in an almost cartoonish version of a prisoner’s outfit, Joker’s mask covering it’s face and a pair of huge black wings shackled behind his back.  
  
Akechi was quickly able to confirm that the shadow did not leave it’s cell, instead being visited every once in a while by cognitions of his friends. Each cognition would ask something of the shadow without a care to its sorry state, blissfully ignoring (or unaware of) the bloody tears streaming down the shadow’s face from beneath Joker’s mask.  
  
Takamaki was the last straw.  
  
 _ **How**_ _ **dare they??!!**_  
  
Ren cared enough about his friends to risk his _life_ for them and _this_ was how they thanked their leader? What kind of _friends_ don’t see their actions are hurting their precious savior? What kind of relationship did they have with Ren that he only saw their relationships as _transactional_?  
  
Akechi wasn’t so far removed from humanity that he couldn’t see how _wrong_ this was.  
  
A palace didn’t get built in one day. This could only mean one thing to Akechi; something or _someone_ broke Ren a while ago and his ‘friends’ were only making it worse.  
  
 _/But we already knew that, didn’t we?_ _Now what shall you do, my little killer?_ _/  
  
/_ _We are going to plan a breakout./_ _  
  
_Loki’s dark laugh echoed within the depth of his soul like a promise. A warning.  
  


  
\-----------  
  


  
Now with a clear goal in mind Akechi began to do what he did best beside killing: scheming.  
  
The first step was simple, he needed to get Ren’s shadow out of its cell.  
  
Loki’s power was apparently useless as long as the shadow was still imprisoned in its cell, the palace’s distortion too strong to be broken unless Ren wished for it himself. So if Akechi wanted to change the boy’s cognition he would have to win the shadow’s trust first and get it to leave its cell. _Then_ Loki could induce a more controlled version of a psychotic breakdown on Ren, thus changing his cognition.  
  
 _/Is a psychotic breakdown really necessary? If you can convince your beloved_ _to join you_ _then surely_ _there will be no need to go that far._ _/_ Robin Hood interrupted his master’s thoughts.  
  
 _/Don’t be stupid!/_ Loki scoffed at the other persona. _/_ _I told you before t_ _here is no guarantee the little thief will willingly join us_ even _if we free him from his prison._ _G_ _etting rid of his_ _distortion_ _will merely ensure his bonds with his ‘friends’_ _only_ _grow stronger_ _and_ _more_ _genuine_ _. You need to_ _ **break**_ _his_ _current_ _bonds_ _and_ _ **tie**_ _the boy to_ _ **you**_ _. M_ _ **ake yourself the center of his world just as he is ours**_ _._ _/_  
  
 _/That’s-/_  
  
 _/Enough./_ Akechi snapped. / _We will follow the initial plan._ _I_ _refuse to_ _take any chances. I can’t- I_ _ **can’t**_ _lose him. You both saw his palace._ _Taking care of his ‘friends’, fighting the whole of society_ _… it’s all hurting him_ _and he is too stubborn to see that he is_ _ **wrong**_ _. And if a_ _psychotic breakdown_ _is the only way to make him_ _see_ _ **true justice**_ _then… I won’t hesitate._ _I won’t let Shido destroy him_ _just_ _because he d_ _oes_ _n’t know when to call it quit._ _/_  
  
 _/So be it./_ Robin Hood murmured after a pause and fell silent.  
  


  
\-----------  
  


  
“I never thought my rival could be so pitiful.”  
  
Akechi could be tactful. In fact most of his reputation was built on his ability to please others. This was not one of those times.  
  
The wide eyed look of confusion and wariness that tainted the shadow’s eyes as it stared at him was quite a delectable mix. It made the being appear somehow less dangerous than it truly was, a nice if unexpected side effect of Akechi’s chosen tactic.  
  
“Crow… Akechi… You shouldn’t be here.” The shadow said blankly.  
  
God he hated this husk of the boy he ~~_loved_~~ admired. He was going to enjoy breaking him in.  
  
/ _And n_ _ow_ _as Joker always said,_ _it’s_ _show time_./ Akechi thought with glee.  
  
“Please, your real self knows me. When have I ever let anyone stop me from doing what I want?”  
  
“What you want?” The shadow repeated, some emotion finally bleeding into it’s voice as it sounded confused.  
  
“I’m here to break you out of your prison of course.”  
 _  
Step one: Catch your prey’s attention._  
  
“ _ **No**_!” Ren’s shadow flinched and actually cried out, “No, I can’t leave! They need me here, this is my place-”  
  
“How long are you going to rot in there?” Akechi interrupted, finally allowing his anger to show as he snapped at the being. “The real you is stronger than that, are you really going to let those parasites drain you?”  
  
The shadow’s golden eyes flashed and Akechi beat down the urge to smile. Here was his Joker.  
  
“You don’t know what you are talking about.”  
  
“Don’t I?” Akechi pushed. “Because to me it looks like your so called ‘ _friends_ ’ are the reason you are locked up in here, wasting away and hurting your real self. Surely you are not so weak as to allow this to continue.”  
  
 _Step_ _two_ _: plant the seeds of doubt_ _in Ren’s mind_ _._  
  
“I’m not-”  
  
“Let me help you.”  
  
“Huh?” The shadow’s mouth slammed shut, even more confused than before.  
  
“Let me prove to you that you do not deserve nor need to stay here.” _Let me save you_ “Let me prove to you that I’m right.”  
  
 _Step three:_ _Make an offer his prey cannot refuse_ _._  
  
“What do you get out of this? Why do you want to help my other self so much?” The shadow’s voice was soft, pleading.  
  
 _Everything_ , Akechi thought. “I get Ren to be mine. _All_ of Ren.” He said.  
  
“Why?” The voice continued, desperate.  
  
“Isn’t it obvious?” Akechi smiled before holding out his hand toward the shadow. “You are my most important person. I refuse to lose you, even to yourself.”  
  
“I- _fine_.” Ren’s shadow gave in with a trembling sigh that almost sounded relieved, tentatively grasping Akechi’s outstreched hand in its own. “You have one chance, Crow. Don’t let me down. Please. Save us.”  
  
“ **It’s a deal.** ”  
  
 _Checkmate._  
  


  
\-----------  
  


  
Apparently changing Ren’s heart meant a lot of sweet talking.  
  
Akechi couldn’t say he minded however as he had quickly come to enjoy chatting with Shadow!Ren (not the most original name but it did the job).  
  
The shadow had turned out to be just as entrancing as its counterpart, easily able to keep up with Akechi every time they debated. Each meeting also gave the detective more proof about how starved for love Ren truly was. Even the boy’s hero complex (something that Akechi used to scoff at) could be laid upon Ren’s need to be wanted and accepted by a world that kept kicking him down.  
  
Thankfully after two weeks of talking everyday the detective was finally starting to see the effects of his efforts in the real world; even if he had yet to actually convince Shadow!Ren to leave his cell.  
  
The real Ren was letting his guard down around him more easily for a start. The boy was also allowing Akechi to take the reigns more often, having grown more inclined to agree to whatever the detective had to say even while on missions. While before Ren used to argue with Akechi he now would often stop mid-argument, only to give in to the detective quickly afterward.  
  
Ren wasn’t aware of what was happening to him as he grew steadily more dependent on Akechi, cutting himself from his friends and spending most of his time with the detective instead. Meanwhile Shadow!Ren was growing slightly more demonstrative, less despondent and over all more _alive_ with each visit.  
  
It was a gradual change, effective if a bit slow which led the detective to his current dilemma.  
  
On the one hand, Akechi was fairly certain he could change Ren’s cognition before the deadline of Sae’s palace with his current pace. On the other hand, it would leave him with only a day of two to spare and that was cutting it a bit too close for comfort.  
  
People needed some time to recover after a change of heart; and Akechi would rather have Ren at full strength _before_ the deadline for the last part of his plan to unfold.  
  
He needed something more; something that would be the final push that allowed him to break through Ren’s defense. Then victory would be his.  
  
Simple in theory but he had yet to find that something.  
  
Akechi got close when he mentioned Ren’s unfair record and total lack of a proper support system ( _because let’s be honest, Ren’s little fan-club didn’t count_ ). However since Ren didn’t know the identity of the bastard who sued him there wasn’t much he could do on that front.  
  
 _/_ _W_ _hy don’t you try_ _using_ _his ‘_ friends _’_ _again_ _for information_ _?/_ Loki’s voice cut through his musing. _/After all they were the ones_ _who_ _guide_ _d_ _us to him before./_  
  
Akechi opened his mouth then closed it.  
  
That… wasn’t a bad idea.  
  
He smirked.  
  
“Looks like we have a plan boys”  
  


  
\-----------  
  


  
The following day Akechi put his plan into motion and managed to spy on one of the thieves’ private conversation.  
  
He never thought he could hate them more than he already did.  
  
He was wrong.  
  


  
\-----------  
  


  
“ **WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK REN??!** ”  
  
“Wha- what’s wrong?” The shadow startled, eyes wide as Akechi stormed up to him.  
  
“What’s _wrong_ he asks!” Akechi laughed like a mad man. “YOU WERE ABOUT TO LET YOUR FRIENDS _**KILL**_ YOU!”  
  
“ _What_?! You are not making any sense!”  
  
“I’M TALKING ABOUT YOUR RECKLESS PLAN OF USING SAE’S PALACE TO TRICK ME!” Akechi spat at the frozen shadow.  
  
The detective was practically _vibrating_ with anger, eyes glowing red as both Loki _and_ Robin Hood howled their rage through their bond.  
  
Shadow!Ren stood still in his cell, an expression of pure shock on his face.  
  
In other circumstances Akechi would have found it quite funny, even adorable. Right now he was absolutely infuriated.  
  
“You- how did you-”  
  
“That’s not the problem here, _honey_.” Akechi continued, voice growing steadily louder. “The _**problem**_ is that somehow your _friends_ , and I use the term loosely, thought it was a _good idea_ to pull together a plan that had literally _ **more holes in it than**_ _ **the memory of**_ _ **an elderly lady with Alzheimer**_!”  
  
Without thinking Akechi violently grabbed Shadow!Ren’s arm, slamming the shadow up against the bars of its cell.  
  
“Just what the hell made you _**think**_ this was a good idea?? Do you know how many things could have gone wrong? I mean, where do I even start? First of all you had _**no**_ guarantee Sae would be the one to interrogate you, it could have been anyone. Then there is the fact that the police would have wanted to use you as an example. You would have been drugged to the gills and beaten to the point you would have been unable to remember your _own name_. Your whole plan was _**suicide!**_ ”  
  
 _/You are scaring him./_ Robin Hood softly whispered, the calm presence of his persona offering him a small measure of control back.  
  
Akechi took a deep breath.  
  
He then caught the shadow’s chin through the bars and forced him to meet his eyes. “I’m not letting you die.”  
  
“And yet we made this plan _because_ of you.” Shadow!Ren shivered but didn’t try to escape his touch. “You planned to kill my other self.”  
  
“Why do you think I keep coming back to you? That boat sailed a long time ago.” Suddenly what he had to do was obvious. “I’m not letting you get away from me, even in death. _**You are**_ _ **mine**_ _ **and I protect what’s mine**_.”  
  
With a demented smile, Akechi grabbed victory and pulled the shadow into a kiss.  
  
Shadow!Ren gasped into his mouth, his lithe frame tensing for a few seconds before he melted into the embrace with a moan.  
  
As the shadow began to lose itself into the kiss Akechi saw the bars of the cell beginning to flicker in and out of existence from the corner of his eyes. A few seconds later he noticed that his Metaverse outfit was beginning to fade as well, showing his regular clothes beneath. A vicious grin threatened to swallow his face at the sight, the urge to yell in triumph nearly overwhelming.  
  
 _ **This was it**_! This was what he had been waiting for; that precious moment Ren would finally give in and allowed himself to fall straight into his waiting arms.  
  
Akechi’s grip on Shadow!Ren tightened as he pulled the shadow deeper into their kiss, almost _tasting_ the submission that was taking over the boy like a hound smelled blood.  
  
Then the bars _finally_ disappeared completely and the shadow fell into his arms, startling it as Shadow!Ren jerked in his embrace and attempted to back away.  
  
“Wait-” The shadow said, sounding torn and confused.  
  
“Oh no you don’t.” Akechi growled. Ren couldn't do that to him, he _couldn’t_ reject him, not _now_!  
  
He dragged the shadow back into his arms and into another deep kiss, keeping him distracted while he mentally summoned Loki.  
  
The persona knew exactly what to do. He had trained it specifically for this purpose for the past few weeks, fine tuning Loki’s ability to alter people’s mental state without causing irreversible damage. All for this _one_ instant he had bet all his cards on.  
  
Shadow!Ren stood no chance and was caught completely unaware when Loki’s attack hit it.  
  
The shadow let out a wail of shock and pain when dark waves of energy suddenly came crashing down into its slender body, golden eyes flashing an alarming red as the persona’s power began its work. Shadow!Ren trashed in Akechi’s arms, looking up at him with wide, wounded eyes as its cognition was slowly but surely being rewritten according to Akechi’s will.  
  
“Don’t fight it. Just let me take care of you like I promised. Let me _free_ you.” Akechi cooed at the terrified shadow, comforting it as he laced their fingers together.  
  
The large black wings flapped wildly in distress as Shadow!Ren tried to resist the changes being forced upon its very soul, only to soon fall back down as the shadow gradually lost its strength. The dark, hidden part of Akechi that rejoiced in destroying his enemies was enjoying the show, greedily taking in the spectacle of his rival, his frenemy and his soon-to-be lover falling apart in his arms only to be reborn into the being he should have always been.  
  
 _ **H**_ _ **is**_.  
  
The sight was truly delicious and it only drove his lust higher now that nothing was preventing him from touching his beloved. Soon he couldn’t resist his desire and he let his hands wander over the smooth body, each shiver of the pale form increasing his thirst for more.  
  
In the back of his mind Akechi could hear Loki’s cackle and he concentrated harder on their bond, focusing solely on the aspects of Ren’s personality he wanted to change.  
  
Because this was not about breaking Ren. Not really. This was about unlocking his heart and bonding them together in such a way that they could never be separated.  
  
And so he kept his thoughts on what his twisted mind _knew_ Ren was meant to be.  
  
 _A_ _devil,_ _wild and free_ _and beautiful_ _and capable of terrible deeds just like_ _ **him**_ _.  
  
_ _A_ _charming_ _thief and_ _the_ _keeper of his heart.  
  
An angel, kind and warm and giving.  
  
A devoted partner, __made for him_ _alone_ _and_ _meant to stay by his side_ _faithfully_ _no matter what_ _.  
  
_ _His other half._ _The only one worthy of him._  
  
He willed his whole being to imprint those truths upon the one he had come to think of as his soulmate, waiting with baited breath and a vicious, desperate sort of hope nestled deep within his heart for his reward.  
  
 _And it was working._  
  
With every seconds he could feel the compulsion growing stronger and the shadow’s struggles growing weaker; until finally the pained moans stopped and Shadow!Ren fell limply into his arms, dazed and with a blank look across its face.  
  
Akechi barely had a second to admire the panting figure he was holding before the shadow’s wings began to glow. The black feathers slowly started disintegrating, pure white ones appearing in their place and spreading quickly.  
  
Then to his surprise the shadow’s clothes also began to glow, the flimsy prisoner outfit bursting into ribbons of pure light that started to wrap around the limp form. Awestruck, Akechi watched the ribbons twist into the air as they covered the thin body before solidifying into fabric in a burst of red and black sparkles, offering a stunning display to Akechi’s watchful eyes.  
  
The first thing he saw once the light died down was the crown.  
  
It was a delicate and intricate thing, made entirely of gold and shining among Ren’s dark curls. It was made of two thin metal bands intertwined together before it met in the front to form the familiar shape of Joker’s mask.  
  
Then it was the coat. Joker’s tailed coat had became sleeveless, leaving the arms exposed while the black color had turned pure white. The fabric had a pearl-like, iridescent shine to it that was only cut by the golden embellishment that adorned it as well as a bright red snake-shaped brooch pinned on its lapel.  
  
A pair of equally white tight shorts had replaced Joker’s dark cargo pants, sitting low on the shadow’s hips and emphasizing its small waist. It was kept in place by a thin golden belt, several slender golden chains hanging from it. The shorts left Shadow!Ren’s legs teasingly exposed, the large expense of naked skin a temptation that begged to be touched.  
  
The boots that Joker used to wear had also changed. Now a pair of white and gold knee high boots dressed the shadow’s feet, still shining with the same iridescent shine as the coat and shorts. The curved shape of the heels was a thing of beauty, gleaming silver and revealing the heels to be sharp blades.  
  
Then there was the sleeveless shirt. Its general shape and design had changed little except that it now stopped at mid-drift, exposing a tone, flat stomach. Only the color scheme had changed to match the rest of the outfit, the shirt being made of the same white fabric with golden buttons and threads decorating it. The high collar was left open into a deep v-neck showing a delicate, white lace choker wrapped around the slender throat.  
  
Said lace choker was embroidered with iridescent pearls cascading down the pale throat like a stunning river of tears.  
  
Only the gloves remained unchanged, blood red and silky soft on small, delicate hands.  
  
And then it was over as abruptly as it started.  
  
“Ren?” Akechi called softly, one hand tenderly petting the shadow’s black hair.  
  
 _/What’s with the new outfit,_ _Loki_ _? Not that I don’t like_ _the_ _makeover but this never happened before./_ Akechi demanded, half curious and half fascinated.  
  
 _/_ _We changed the way your beloved thought of himself. It only stands to reason that h_ _is_ _shadow’s_ _appearance_ _would_ _change to reflect his new_ _cognition of himself_ _. He is now_ _truly_ _worthy of being our Sigyn./_ Loki purred back into his mind.  
  
The fondness he could feel from his normally bloodthirsty persona didn’t even surprise him. Ren was truly the greatest of thieves, Akechi thought with pride. The charming Joker had even managed to steal the heart of the blood-crazed Loki. It was no wonder then that the persona called him their Sigyn.  
  
Sigyn, the faithful wife of Loki. Suddenly the snake brooch made a lot more sense.  
  
Akechi’s face split into a grin.  
  
 _/How fitting indeed./_ He purred back to his persona.  
  
Shadow!Ren choose that moment to awaken, catching the detective’s attention just in time to see the shadow’s eyes flutter open.  
  
Molten gold met rusty brown and Akechi’s breath caught in his throat.  
  
The shadow was staring up at him with wide eyes, the pure gold of their iris glowing a faint red and showing nothing but love and complete adoration. Nothing but his own image was reflected in those golden jewels, as if nothing but him mattered to the shadow.  
  
Distantly Akechi noticed that his own Metaverse outfit had finally faded out of existence completely, the final proof that his gambit had paid off.  
  
Ren was _his_ now.  
  
“Goro.” Shadow!Ren’s called out and oh god he sounded absolutely _**wrecked.  
  
**_ Akechi **snapped**.  
  
He didn’t kiss the shadow so much as he _devoured_ it, greedily drinking down every gasp and moan that escaped the soft, pouty lips as he held onto the slender frame tight enough to leave bruises.  
  
Within seconds he had the shadow’s back hitting the ground, one hand lost in messy black curls and the other grabbing a handful of a plush, round cheek. Almost too easily his fingers slipped beneath the shorts only to be met with bare skin. With a groan he felt his fingertips sink into the defenseless entrance he was craving to claim and almost came in his pants.  
  
The shadow went wild and writhed into his arms, back arching and pressing into his touch, a heavy blush slowly covering his face all the way down to his neck.  
  
“Goro!” The shadow gasped out “Oh god please don’t stop!”  
  
“Never.” Akechi growled, all higher cerebral functions on stand-by as he lost himself in the pleasure of finally indulging in his prize. “I waited so long for this but now you’re all mine.” He continued feverishly, edging himself on with every words and feeling a perverse satisfaction in stating his claim out loud for all to hear.  
  
“Yes, I’m yours!”Ren’s shadow mewled, his legs instinctively spreading at his touch and wrapping around Akechi’s waist. “I was so stupid to be afraid of this, afraid of you. I love you! How could I not when you have worked so hard to save me?” He gazed lovingly at his captor, his _lover_ , a gentle hand tenderly cupping his cheek even as his hips rolled into Akechi’s. “You deserve the world Goro.”  
  
Akechi _shattered_ , his very soul bursting into flames and ascending to Nirvana as Shadow!Ren whispered every sweet words he ever ~~_needed_~~ wantedto hear.  
  
Without another word Akechi ripped away the tiny piece of fabric still protecting the shadow’s chastity and thrust inside the welcoming tightness of his _soulmate_.  
  
In that moment the world disappeared.  
  
There was nothing on his mind; nothing except the warm body beneath him.  
  
Nothing but soft flesh, tender touches and tiny whimpers and moans of pleasure as he lost himself within Ren, _tasted Ren, took Ren and marked Ren and claimed Ren and_ -  
  


  
\-----------  
  


  
Akechi left Ren’s palace feeling dizzy yet elated.  
  
By the time he got home and collapsed onto his bed he was nearly full to bursting with a tangled mess of satisfaction, joy and contentment. He thought maybe this was what it was like to be drugged, in which case he suddenly understood junkies a lot better.  
  
It had been _hours_ and he could still taste every sweet moan and gasp he coaxed out of Ren’s shadow, could still feel how his tight hole clenched around him and refused to let go until he was fully spent.  
  
He couldn’t wait to do it all over again to the _real_ Renthis time.  
  
But that would have to wait until after the change of cognition took place. Loki had confirmed that the effect would happen very quickly in the real world, most likely within 24 hours, but until then Akechi would have to keep the other thieves away from their leader.  
  
Thankfully the hardest part was already done and all he had to do was secure his presence’s by Ren’s side tomorrow. This was easily solved by sending a text requesting for the two of them to meet at Leblanc for a private talk. Ren’s response came quickly, the boy eagerly agreeing to the meeting.  
  
Akechi couldn’t have been more pleased.  
  
Tomorrow he would be staking his final claim on Ren and stealing their precious leader from those pathetic thieves.  
  
 _Checkmate_.  
  


  
\-----------  
  


  
When Akechi stumbled into Leblanc the following day he was nearly vibrating with excitement.  
  
He nearly ignored Ren’s guardian in his haste but, by some miracle, he managed to keep himself together long enough to exchange the usual platitude with the shop owner before making his way upstairs to the attic.  
  
When he stepped into the attic he was greeted by the sight of the dark haired thief sitting on his bed and holding his phone. At first nothing seemed amiss, but at second glance Akechi saw Ren’s cheeks were slightly red, his gaze slightly unfocused. To Akechi’s knowing eyes there was a new vulnerability to the normally composed and reserved boy, a certain softness as if a veil had been stripped off to expose the fragile core beneath.  
  
Fleetingly Akechi wondered if this was part of the change of cognition. As he stared at the boy Ren finally noticed him and waved in greeting.  
  
“Hey,” Ren said softly.  
  
“Hey, how are you today Amamiya-kun?” Akechi greeted back with a warm smile. A smile that he didn’t need to fake anymore with Ren.  
  
“Good, you said you wanted to talk?” The dark haired thief replied.  
  
“Yes, I have some matters I wished to discuss with you before we keep venturing into Sae’s palace.” Matters such as your newly changed cognition, Akechi thought but didn’t voice.  
  
Ren nodded and gestured toward the sofa, absently playing with his bangs in what the detective now recognized as one of his nervous ticks.  
  
Endearing but not what he had in mind.  
  
And so rather than sitting on the sofa, like he was invited to do, Akechi sat down on the bed next to Ren, causing the boy to stare at him in confusion.  
  
Akechi could have spent hours looking at those beautiful silvery jewels. He could see in them the beginning of the same love and devotion that he saw in Ren’s shadow yesterday and knew the boy was _almost_ his.  
  
That love was still tainted by bewilderment right now, Ren having no idea of the changes currently happening within him, but soon he would be free of all his worries.  
  
“Wha- why are you looking at me like that?” Ren cut through the silence, looking adorably shy. Akechi swore he could hear in that smooth voice the echoes of last night’s passion.  
  
Whatever he planned to say next escaped him however as he suddenly felt Loki’s presence flare to life in the back of his mind.  
  
 _/_ _Just c_ _laim your prize already little killer!_ _/_ Loki’s voice screeched into their shared mental space.  
  
/ _I can’t_ _, he is not ready yet_ -/ He hissed at his persona.  
  
/ _Yes he is_ _!_ _T_ _he_ _boy_ _smells ripe for the picking. H_ _e only needs one last little push_ _!/  
  
/_ _It’s too early! This must be done carefully, if I mess up his_ _mental state_ _could be-/_ _  
  
/_ _Trust in our work_ _! T_ _ake_ _what is our already_ _and_ _BRING US OUR OTHER HALF TAKE HIM TAKE HIM_ _ **TAKEHIMTAKEHIM**_ _-_ /  
  
Akechi scrambled to slam a barrier between himself and Loki, cutting off his persona before he could lose control and mess up all his hard work.  
  
It would have been so _easy_ to lose himself to the siren call of his desire and taste his prey again; however Akechi knew the pay-off would be greater if he waited for his prey to come to him. And so he merely gave a sheepish, disarming smile to the dark haired beauty in front of him.  
  
“Please forgive me, I got distracted for a second. I could have sworn I saw something in your hair, do you mind if I take a look?”  
  
“N-no, go ahead.” The thief actually stuttered slightly.  
  
God he was just too cute. With his prey’s permission Akechi bent forward and into Ren’s space, making a show of grabbing at something in his hair. Ren squirmed and his blush deepened, making it pretty hard for Akechi to stick to his plan and not rush things.  
  
“Ah, I’m sorry Amamiya-kun, it seems I was mistaken.”  
  
Akechi pulled back and Ren finally broke.  
  
The large grey eyes opened wide, the dazed look that had swallowed their depths breaking apart like shattered glass as Ren’s inner world crumbled and rebuilt itself around the principles Akechi had given him.  
  
“Amamiya-kun?”  
  
Akechi’s breath caught in his throat as Ren blinked once, twice, then turned his gaze on him.  
  
Dear god _his eyes_.  
  
They were filled with the exact same intense, burning love and devotion that he had seen in his shadow.  
  
This time Akechi didn’t resist when Loki’s shrill voice insisted that he claimed Ren.  
  
He slammed their mouths together.  
  


Ren immediately melted into his arms, making small, little mewling sounds in the back of his throat. His ~~rival~~ other half was wonderfully warm and pliant in his arms, just like his shadow had been, and Akechi had a hard time stopping himself from just ravaging Ren right here and now.

He finally pulled back, giving the both of them a chance to breath, although his arms stayed wrapped around his prize.  
  
“Goro Goro Goro-”  
  
Ren seemed unable to form words that weren’t his name, clinging to the detective desperately as he stared up at him with awe. Akechi wasn’t any better, fiercely whispering Ren’s name between kisses.  
  
“Oh Ren-” kiss _“_ _Ren_ _-_ _”_ kiss _“_ I waited so long for _this._ ”  
  
The boy moaned, slender form kept pliant beneath Akechi as the detective quickly began removing his clothes with brisk gestures.  
  
“Goro I’m so happy!” Ren clung to him harder, unable to stand being separated from the detective for even an instant and whimpering praises with the same desperation that his shadow had shown. “I wanted you to love me so bad but I thought you hated me and then you were going to kill me-”  
  
“ _Never_ ,” Akechi cut off his babbling with a harsh bite into the lovely, defenseless skin of his neck. “I’m going to _save_ you. Me. Not your stupid friends. _**ME**_.”  
  
“Really? You won’t let me go?” Ren stared up at Akechi if he was a deity, the long awaited answer to all his prayers.  
  
And Akechi smiled down at him sweetly because that was exactly what he was now.  
  
 _Ren’s God_.  
  
“I own you Ren. Your life is mine.”  
  
He sealed their bond with yet another kiss and pushed Ren’s legs apart, sheathing himself into the offered body in a single thrust as Ren and he finally became one.  
  
Akechi saw stars.  
  
Ren let out a half strangled moan of pleasure beneath him, arching into his thrusts with the same abandon and willingness as his shadow before, eyes gleaming with pure admiration and devotion.  
  
It was a drug stronger and more potent than the dark call of Loki, than even the pleasure of making a shadow submit.  
  
It was _bliss_.  
  
Akechi’s body was acting on auto-pilot, only seeking the sweet warmth and addicting softness of Ren _Ren REN_ -  
  
 _Finally_ Ren was here, not just his shadow but the _real_ Ren, in his arms, willing and begging for him and _loving him_.  
  
Finally they were one. No one could take Ren away from him anymore.  
  
There was no trace of pain on Ren’s face as Akechi lost himself within his arms, only pleasure, even though he barely made an effort at preparing him but Akechi was too far gone to care. There was only the tight clenching of Ren’s insides around his length, welcoming him and pulling him in, his soft sighs in his ears and the comforting weight of his thighs as they wrapped around his waist.  
  
They were lost in their own world, tangled in each other and in Ren’s sheets as they writhed and panted and push and thrust against each others.  
  
It was messy and hot and absolutely glorious and Akechi never wanted it to end.  
  
Ren came first, tightening around him as he reached his peak with Akechi’s name on his lips. Akechi tumbled into ecstasy right after, pushed over the edge by the increased pressure on his member and he came with a cry, clutching Ren’s hips and filling his thief with _himself_ until there was no space left for anything else.  
  
For the first time in his god forsaken life Akechi felt peace as he laid down on top of Ren, the hungry beast that always hungered deep within his blackened soul finally sated.  
  
They stayed tangled together for a few more minutes as they enjoyed the afterglow, Akechi not willing to stop basking in the love that literally radiated from Ren just yet. When they finally separated Akechi watched with a vicious sense of pride as his essence ran down Ren’s legs, staining the pale skin with streaks of white.  
  
He had claimed Joker, had left his mark on his body **and** soul, and the sight of his beloved spent and satisfied under him soothed the forever rampaging beast nestled in his heart.  
  
 **Ren was** _ **hi**_ _ **s**_ **now**.  
  
Nothing could separate him from his thief, Ren’s cognition having been definitely changed forever. By committing the ~~crime~~ rescue mission of stealing Ren’s heart and mind Akechi had irremediably linked their fate together and he had absolutely no regrets.  
  
Joker ( _Ren_ _)_ would live and he would stand by _his_ side.  
  
It would be just the two of them, as it should be.  
  
“Ren?” He asked with a soft kiss on tousled black hair.  
  
“Hmm yes love?”  
  
Deep grey eyes full of trust and love stared into feral, enamored russet.  
  
“Let’s kill all those that oppose us and ditch the parasites that disguised themselves as your friends.”  
  
Ren laughed gently and nestled against his side like a kitten.  
  
“Whatever you want, Goro.”  
  
Akechi grinned.  
  
 _Checkmate_.


End file.
